


She Burns

by ExpressAndAdmirable



Series: The Heroes of Light [50]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types, Final Fantasy I
Genre: Blood and Injury, Drow, F/F, Healing, Injury Recovery, Slice of Life, Tiefling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-05
Updated: 2018-01-05
Packaged: 2019-02-28 20:33:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13279368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExpressAndAdmirable/pseuds/ExpressAndAdmirable
Summary: Lux takes care of Sol after another fight, putting aside her own injuries in the process. (Featuring art!)





	She Burns

**Author's Note:**

> Included is a funny sketch of the Monster Gals taken from another recent battle, drawn by Sol's player @b-e-m-l-t on Tumblr.

“If you don’t stop fidgeting I’m going to poke you in the eye.”

With a grimace and a huff she knew would make the Tiefling chuckle, Haluei’en stilled, smoothing her features and closing her eyes. Exhaustion and worry had depleted Aviva’s usual reserves of patience and the Drow knew when it was unwise to further antagonise her.

“Thank you.”

A cooling sensation moved gently across Halei’s cheek as Aviva spread a salve over the burn marring her skin. Another spell she had not successfully avoided. A moment later, the alcoholic sting of antiseptic bit at the bloody cut on her forehead. She was not even entirely sure where that wound had come from. Their party’s battlefield cohesion had increased of late, but that was no excuse to be cavalier with her own defence. She could hear the ever-present refrain in the back of her mind: _do better_. Next time, she would.

Cautiously opening one eye, then the other, Halei watched Aviva’s face as she worked. Though her veins were no longer blackened with necrotic energy, she looked pale and tired, her movements sluggish and lacking their usual precision. She sported no bruises, gashes or broken bones; in the space of a breath, one single spell had choked her life force and nearly reduced her to a corpse. Halei’s stomach turned at the memory. She put it aside. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I had the life sucked out of me by an asshole cleric.” Aviva smiled weakly, letting it fade back to neutral as she concentrated on the bandage she was wrapping around the Drow’s upper arm. “Concerned, as always. The more we learn, the more I wish we hadn’t.”

Halei nodded, resting her hands on the Tiefling’s hips and drawing her closer to where she sat on the edge of the bed. “You did well today.”

Aviva scoffed, but the compliment pulled at the corners of her mouth. “Pretended to be the thing I most fear becoming.” Her amusement abruptly ceased as she realised the darkness of her words. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to pull it off again.”

“Hopefully you won’t have to.” Halei smirked. “Fool a minotaur once, shame on you. Fool them twice…”

Another soft laugh, this time accompanied by a shake of Aviva’s head as she paused her fussing to lace her fingers behind the Drow’s neck. “I don’t just mean because I was seen,” she murmured. “Disguises are easy.” Not for the first time, a look of quiet fear crept across her face, an expression reserved for Haluei’en alone. “It’s their signal. The sigil. Drawing it like they did, with magic… I felt it tug at me. I’m worried if I try it again, the pull will be stronger.”

“They’re going to have to pull awfully hard to get you away from me.” Halei watched Aviva’s smile return, felt the press of her lips against her forehead, and found herself smiling in turn. The Tiefling was finally learning to accept the full conviction of Halei’s statements, the resolute truth of them. Haluei’en had no use for guile or meaningless placation. When she said she was going to keep the woman she loved safe, she meant it, and woe befall anyone who stood in the way.

Spreading one hand against Halei’s chest, Aviva incanted what little healing she had left, the warmth of the magic seeping its way from her palm into the Drow’s body. Halei rolled her shoulders and cracked her neck; she still felt stiff and spent, but that was more a function of age than injury. “Set?”

“Set,” Aviva answered, returning her collection of tinctures and spare bandages to their box.

“Thank you.”

Aviva smiled. “I suspect it’s dinnertime soon. I wonder what kind of dinners a servitor cooks.” As she lifted her head to glance at the clock on the wall, her eyes suddenly lost their focus, the aftereffects of the deadly spell making themselves known in a wave of dizziness. One hand found its way heavily to Halei’s shoulder, supporting her balance, while the other covered her face. “I think I’m going to lie down for a bit.”

“Okay.” Sliding an arm around the Tiefling’s waist, Halei rose, pausing as a thought occurred to her. “Did you use the last of your healing on me?” she asked, trying unsuccessfully to suppress the affection in her disappointment.

“Yeah,” Aviva responded sheepishly. “I think I just need to sleep this off. I mean it; I’ll be fine.” She batted at Halei’s hands as the Drow helped her onto the bed, but once she was comfortable, she met her gaze again. “You could stay, though, if you wanted.”

Halei made a brief show of pondering the offer, then softened. “I can do that.” Stretching out on the bed, she wrapped Aviva in her arms as the taller woman curled comfortably against her side. Scarcely a minute passed before the Tiefling’s breathing evened, her ribcage rising and falling. Hopefully dinner did not come too quickly.

Over many years, Haluei’en had learned to take the moments where she found them. Today they had both lived, and that was enough. They would face tomorrow when it came.

**Author's Note:**

> Title song by Foy Vance.
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr at @expressandadmirable for a proper table of contents for the Heroes campaign, commissioned character art, text-based roleplay snippets and more!


End file.
